Apparatus for making c-bars.



R. HUBLER 62 D. E: JONES. APPARATUS FOR MAKING G-BARS.

APPLIOATION FILED DB0. 6,1913. 1 ,1 850 Patent-es. rm 1@, 1m

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. M. HUBLER & D. E. JONES.

APPARATUS FOR. MAKING U-BARS.

APPLICATION FILED DE(1.6,1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. HUBLER AND DANIEL E. JONES, OF ELYBIA, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THEELYBIA IRON & STEEL COMPANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING C-BARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it lmownthat we, ROBERT M. HUBLER and DANIEL E. JONES, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and Stateof Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor Making C-Bars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 1

This invention comprises mechanism by which a strip of metalskelp assuch a strip is technically termedis bent into bars having a bodyportion in the form of an arc and inwardly projecting wings extendingfrom the edges of the arc, lying in substantially the same plane andhaving a space between their inner ,edges. A bar thus formed has anappearance in cross section similar to that of a letter C; accordinglythese bars are hereinafter referred to as C-bars. Such a bar-may beadvantageously used in various structures particularly where it isdesired to have a flat clamping surface and have the bolt head withinthebar.

The object is to provide comparatively simple mechanism by which thework of accurately forming such a bar may be effectively performe Ourinvention is hereinafter more fully described and the essentialcharacteristics set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is the central longitudinal section throughour mechanism; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the former which is mountedbetween the two pairs of rolls shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of thelower or grooved member of the former; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of theupper or mandrel members of the former; Fig. 5 is a view of the firstpair of forming rolls, being partially sectioned, the plane of thesection be ing taken on the plane of the axes of the shafts; Figs. 6, 7,8, 9 and 10 are sections taken on corresponding lines indicated in Fig.1; Fig. 11 is a partially sectionalyiew of the finishing rolls at theright of F1 1, this section belng taken on the plane 0 the axes of theshafts; 12 is an end elevation of the finishing end of the former; Fig.13 is a ,cross section of the bar in its finished fo'rm'. I

Referring to the parts by numerals; 1 and 2 indicate two forming rolls:which are mounted in suitable housings, the frame of which is indicatedat 4; 5 and 6 indicate two finishing rolls, each of these pairs of iollsbeing suitably driven in the same direc- The former comprises a lowermember 10 and two upper members 12 and 14. The lower member 10 has atrough-like groove on its upper side and the two uppervmembers havecomplementary ribs substantially filling this groove. The member 10 isprovided with laterally extending ears 13 having elongated holes, bywhich it is secured in place to suitable cross members 11 of themachine. The upper members 12 and 14 have laterally extending flanges 15engaging corresponding shoulders on the member 10 to keep the rib ofeach upper member in proper {)BlatlOIl with the groove on the lowermemer. for securing these upper members to the lower member, as shown,ears 17 are provided on the flanges 15, through which cap screws passinto the member 10. 'lihe dividing of the upper portion of the formerinto two parts facilitates the making of each of the members and alsoallows these members to be readily removed without disturbing the rollswhen a portion of the skelp has become'jammed within the former, so thatit cannot be pulled through in the .usual manner.

The forming roll 2 is provided with an annular groove which cooperates.with the convex periphery of the forming roll 1, to bend the flat skelpstrip to form the arcuate portion 16 of the bar. The skelp is fed tothese rolls so that this arcuate portion is formed intermediate of thesides of thestrip, thus bending the skelp 'into the shape of a flaringU, as shown in Fig. 5. The former members 10' and 12 receive thisU-shaped skelp and as it progresses along these members to the end ofthe member 12, these edge or wing portions 18 of the skelp are bent-up-100 wardly from the flaring position to 'a straight vertical position,as shown in Fig. 7. Throughout the length of the member 12 the sides ofthe trough of the member 10 and the sides of the rib portion of the mem-1,0,5

ber 12 extend upwardly from the sides of the arcuate portion of theskelp and the upper edges 0 the sides slightly converge as at 19 inFigs. 2, 3 and 4 to bend the'side portions 18 of the skelp upwardly andin- 119 Any suitable means may be provided to substantially horizontalposition, as the skelp progresses from the end of the member 12 to thefinishing rolls 5 and 6. The roll 6 having an annular groove in itsperiphery, and the roll 5 having a substantially straight face, thesefinishing rolls conform to the outside contour of the finished product.I

In order that the C-bar may have the correct inside contour afterpassing through the finishing rolls ,and to prevent the side portions 18bending inwardly the rib 22 extends to the right between finishing rollsas at 26. It is sometimes desirable that these wing portions 18 of thebar should bend inwardly slightly so that .when straightened by clampingthey will have a spring action tending to lock the head of the boltengaging them, in which case this mandrel portion may be omitted, orsuitably formed to allow for this. This extended mandrel has anintermediate slot 27 to admit a tongue 28 rigidlycarried by the roll 5.This tongue passes between the side portions 18 of the strip and gripsthe middle portion of the strip at the bottom of the groove in the lowerroll, as shown in Fig.

11, to insure the pulling of the bar out of.

the former and passing it through these rolls themselves. This tonguealso acts to smooth the edges of the wings and insures the opening beingeven and equidistant from the sides of the bar.

Although we have shown the mandrel portions 26 as being made integralwith the rib portion 22, of the member 14, it is to be understood thatwe donot wish to be limited to this construction, as several methods'for providing a mandrel at this point might be used, as for example: ashort mandrel supported at the top to allow the wing portions 18 topass, and extending inwardly from the right of the finishing rolls,entirely independent of the former members. 7

In Fig. 1, the skelp is shown as passing through the rolls and former,its sides being bent upwardly from the fiat strip at ,30 by the rolls 1and 2, passing through the I former and through the finishing rolls andas shown at 32, passing off from the man- "drel members 26. By thisarrangement of mechanism we have provided an inside and outside guidecontacting with the skelp throughout the length of the former. Thisinsures the correct contour of the finished product and preventsdistorting the bar in any way. The use of the grooves 24 in the members14 for bending the side members 18, provides for these side membersbeing bent sharply around the corners at the upper part of thearcual-shaped rib. This construction allows this member 14 to be readilymanufactured, While it would otherwise be very difiicult to provide aninside guide of this shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: p

1. In a device for bending strips into 0- bars comprising an arcuateportion and plane wings extending from the sides thereof and lyingsubstantially in the same plane and having their inner edges separated,the combination of a forming guide adapted to progressively bend thewings until they lie substantially in the same plane, a pair offinishing. rolls, and a tongue carried by one of the rolls and extendingbetween the wings and engaging the arcuate portion of the bar to drawit'from the forming guides.

2. In a device for bending strips into C- bars comprising an arcuateportion and plane wings extending from the sides thereof and lyingsubstantially in the same plane, the combination of a forming guideadapted to engage the inside and outside of the strip and progressivelybend the wings until they lie substantially in the same plane, a pair offinishing rolls, a mandrel within the bar between the two finishingrolls, and a tongue carried by one of the rolls and extending betweenthe wings and engaging the arcuate portion of the bar whereby it maybedrawn from the forming guides.

3. In a device for bending strips into C- bars' comprising an arcuateportion and plane wings extending from the sides thereof and lyingsubstantially in the same plane, of a forming guide adapted to engagethe inside and outside of the strip and progressively bend the wingsuntil they lie substantially in the same plane, a pair of finishingrolls, a mandrel within the bar between thetwo rolls having anintermediate slot, and a tongue carried by one of the rolls andextending between the wings into said slot and engaging the arcuateportion of the bar to draw it from the forming guides.

4. In a device for bending strips into C- bars having an arcuate portionand plane wings extending inwardly from the sides of said arcuateportion, the combination of a forming guide adapted to progressivelybend the wings to substantially the same plane, apair offinishingrollsand a mandrel within the .bar extending between the rolls and beingintegral with the former and having a slot, and a tongue on one of i'sothe finishing rolls extending through said slot and engaging the arcuateportion of the stri 5. In a device for bending strips into bars havingan arcuate portion and plane wings extending inwardly from the sides ofthe arcuate portion, the combination of a forming guide adapted toprogressively v bend the wings to substantially the same plane and leavea space between them, said former comprising inside and outside guides,the inside guide havinga rib adapted to engage the arcuate portion, saidrib being extended in the form of a mandrel between the finishing rollsand having a longitudinal slot, a tongue on one of the finishing rollsextending into said slot and engaging the arcuate portion to draw thestrip from the forming guides.

6. In a device for forming C-bars having an arcuate portion and planewings projecting inwardly from the sides of the arcuate a portion, thecombination of a pair of rolls adapted to curve the intermediate portionof a flat strip, a former having an arcuate trough and a ribcomplementary thereto for embracing this arcuate portion, grooves insaid former embracing the plane wings for progressively bending them tothe desired relation to the arcuate strip, and a pair of coactingfinishing rolls, one of which has a a ing toward each other from thearcuate ortion, the combination of means for ben ing the intermediateportion of a flat-strip into the arcuate shape, a former having a troughand complementary rib adapted to preserve e shape of said arcuateportion and having grooves embracing the fiat portions of the strip andbending them inwardly progressively to the deslr'ed finished position,said former having shoulders engaging the edges of the strip to preventany lateral shifting thereof while it is drawn through the former, a airof co-acting rolls one of which isprovided with an annular tongue andadapted to project between the wings of the C-bar, and a mandrelextending from the former into the pass of the rolls and bifurcated toaccommodate said tongue.

8. In a device for forming C-bars having an arcuate portion and planewings extenda ing toward each other from the arcuate portion and lyingsubstantially in the same plane, the combination of means for bendingthe intermediate portion of aflat strip into the arcuate sha e desired,a former having a trough an complementary rib adapted to preserve theshape of said arcuate portion and having grooves embracing the Hatportions of the strip and bending them inwardly progressively to thedesired portion and the other of which engages the exterior of the-arcuate portion.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presenceof two wit- Inesses ROBT. M. HUBLER. DANIEL E. JONES.

Witnesses:

W. E. Dawns, L. J. BOOTHROYD.

